Civic teacher held for molesting girl

MUMBAI: A 49-year-old teacher, employed in a civic school in Borivli (E), was arrested on Friday for allegedly molesting a 12-year-old student.

The victim, a class VI student, has alleged that the accused, Krishna Shankar Singh, had similarly molested at least three dozen other girls from the school. The Dahisar police will now send a team to the school in Kajupada to talk to all female students.

"The victim's mother is a political party worker and approached us with a complaint. The girls said that Singh would tell her to sit on the last bench as she wasn't well-versed with English and then, on the pretext of helping her write better, grab her hand and touch her inappropriately," a senior police officer said.

The girl said she had witnessed Singh do the same to many of her schoolmates.

Singh will be produced before a metropolitan court on Saturday. "Our officers will visit the school on Saturday and make inquiries with all the female students as to whether any of them had to undergo a similar ordeal. If more complaints come up against Singh, we will add the statements of those girls to the victim's FIR," the official added.

Singh has been booked under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code for outraging the modesty of a woman. Both he and the victim reside in the western suburbs. Sources said many of the girls had complained to the school principal. The cops will make inquiries with the principal and the teaching staff.